From bluesy licks to extreme shredding
Suzanne Vega's song tells the tale of a soldier who questions allegiance to Queen and country, and confronts the Queen directly about it.
The Manics also had some harsh words to say about the monarchy and the Queen herself.
Sources: (Variety) (NME 1 and 2) (Express) (Loudwire) (Radio X)
See also: Royals vs. Paparazzi: a historic tale of love and hate
Unlike other songs on this list, this one by the Man in Black was actually inspired by a dream about Queen Elizabeth II.
Like other music artists on this list, Paul Heaton and Jacqui Abbott, also express their discontentment with the state of the nation, and include a reference to the Queen.
Back in 1994, the Brit Pop band released this song, which contained lyrics such as "And the Queen, she’s gone round the bend / Jumped off Land’s End."
It's not quite clear what Bobby Gillespie means by "Insect royalty live inside of me," but it certainly is an allusion to the monarchy.
Bob Vylan brings punk angst back to the present. This tune makes reference to both the Queen and Princess Diana. "'Cause England's ending, death's still pending / Where's that money you spent?"
Leon Rosselson's song takes us on a journey through Queen Elizabeth II's life, from her coronation in 1953 to her Silver Jubilee in 1977.
One of the finest bands to ever come out of Manchester, Ian Brown's The Stone Roses were not as kind in their words towards the Queen as other artists.
Scottish punk rockers The Exploited, like other punk bands, had an anti-monarchy stance, and this song is a good example.
"The very idea of the monarchy and the Queen of England is being reinforced and made to seem more useful than it really is," said frontman Morrissey to NME in 1986.
The British artist paints a rather sad image of the Queen in this song. The lyrics go: "The Queen on her throne plays Shirley Bassey records when she's all on her own / And she looks out the window and cries."
"Try shaking a box in front of the Queen / ‘Cause her purse is fat and bursting at the seams / It’s a waste of time if you know what they mean." This is a reference (and a critique) to charities and fundraising.
One of the most controversial lyrics was "God save the Queen / She ain’t no human being." However, Pistols frontman John Lydon said in an interview that he was not against the royal family as human beings.
The Bajan-British rapper also has something to say about the country and the royals, and it's not nice. The song mentions a "Bottle of Bucky in Buckingham Palace," and references both Kate Middleton and the Queen.
Neil Tennant and Chris Lowe not only wrote a song where the Queen features, but Princess Diana is also present. The song is essentially about a tea party with the two royals, and goes as far as to describe a dialogue between them.
Lasting less than 30 seconds, the acoustic tune makes reference to the Queen being "a pretty nice girl" who "doesn't have a lot to say" but "she changes from day to day." McCartney ends the song with the lyrics "Someday I'm gonna make her mine."
Written by Paul McCartney and John Lennon, and featured in the Fab Four's 1969 album 'Abbey Road,' this song is a somewhat sweet tribute to the late Queen Elizabeth II.
'God Save the Queen' was released in 1977, during the Queen's Silver Jubilee. The song was banned on some radio stations (including the BBC) but it was a huge hit overall.
This iconic punk rock anthem is probably one of the first songs that come to mind when one thinks about songs inspired by the Queen. Defiantly borrowing its name from the British national anthem, 'God Save the Queen' is indeed an anti-establishment and anti-monarchy song.
"I'm actually really, really proud of the Queen for surviving and doing so well. I applaud her for that and that's a fantastic achievement. I'm not a curmudgeon about that. I just think that if I'm paying my tax money to support this system I should have a say so in how it's spent," he added. On September 9, 2022, John Lydon tweeted: "Rest in Peace Queen Elizabeth II. Send her victorious."
It has been speculated that this song is in fact about how AIDS affected the gay community. Though it might just be about a dream about Lady Di and the Queen.
The song goes: "The Queen said, "I'm aghast love never seems to last / However hard you try" / And Di replied / That there are no more lovers left alive / No one has survived / So there are no more lovers left alive /And that's why love has died / Yes, it's true / Look, it's happened to me and you."
'The Queen is Dead' is not just about the band's dislike for the monarchy. Interestingly, the classic 1986 song also makes reference to Michael Fagan, an intruder who managed to sneak into Queen Elizabeth II's bedroom at Buckingham Palace in 1982.
The lyrics are short and clearly anti-monarchy. They go: "Tear me apart and boil my bones / I'll not rest 'til she's lost her throne /My aim is true, my message is clear /It's curtains for you, Elizabeth my dear."
The chorus goes: "With a glass cage around her and an absence in her eyes /And though regiments around her they can’t take her by surprise / She’s as poised as a picture, she’s a sight for all to see /With a glass cage around her on her Silver Jubilee / With a glass cage around her she feels free."
The lyrics go: "The soldier came knocking upon the Queen's door / He said, "I am not fighting for you anymore." He continues, "Your Highness, your ways are very strange."
The song itself is about the second coming of Jesus, and this dream led Johnny Cash to look into the Bible for answers. "I thought maybe it was biblical. So I found it… something about whirlwinds and thorn trees in the Bible. So from that, my song started,” Cash explained.
Cash dreamed that he met the Queen in Buckingham Palace and she shared a mysterious message with him. “There she sat on the floor and she looked up at me and said, 'Johnny Cash, you're like a thorn tree in a whirlwind,'" he recounted to Larry King in 2002.
The world is still mourning the recent passing of Queen Elizabeth II—one of the most iconic figures in history. For many years, the Queen, and the monarchy as a whole, has been present in pop culture, and this includes music. Many singers and bands have written songs inspired, addressed to, and about Queen Elizabeth II. Some music artists had nice words to say about the monarch, while others, not so much. Nonetheless, these songs are worth revisiting.
Click through the following gallery and discover the songs inspired by Queen Elizabeth II.
The late Jamaican record producer and singer Lee "Scratch" Perry makes reference to the Queen's "pum pum," whatever that may be. It's a cool dub tune though.
Songs inspired by Queen Elizabeth II
From pop to punk
MUSIC Monarchy
The world is still mourning the recent passing of Queen Elizabeth II—one of the most iconic figures in history. For many years, the Queen, and the monarchy as a whole, have been present in pop culture, and this includes music. Many singers and bands have written songs inspired, addressed to, and about Queen Elizabeth II. Some music artists had nice words to say about the monarch, but others, not so much. Nonetheless, these songs are worth revisiting.
Click through the following gallery and discover the songs inspired by Queen Elizabeth II.